Bob Dylan in lingerie ad

Bob Dylan: Doesn't look much like a candidate for a lingerie ad, does he?

Music legend Bob Dylan has broken a career-long self-imposed ban on doing TV commercials - appearing in an ad for luxury lingerie.

The 62-year-old star appears in adverts for US underwear chain Victoria's Secret, with images of his face mixed on screen with shots of model Adriana Lima walking though Venice in lingerie and high heels.

The song Love Sick, from the Grammy-winning 1997 album Time Out of Mind, accompanies the pictures.

"I would be hesitant to say it's awful or wonderful. It's just strange," said New York DJ Dennis Elsas, who has played Dylan music for 30 years.

The adverts air in 15, 30 and 60-second versions and promote a new line of lingerie called the Angels collection.

They will be shown on US television for the next two weeks, company bosses said.Ed Razek, chief creative officer for Victoria's Secret, said the company had already set its heart on using the Dylan song when they decided to ask the music legend to appear in the ads.

"I can't speculate to his reasons. I never talked to him about why he decided to come to the party, but he did," Mr Razek said.

A spokesman for Dylan was not immediately available for comment.

Dylan has steadfastly refused to appear in advertising campaigns for more than 40 years, although his song The Times They Are A-Changin' was used in a Bank of Montreal advert in 1996.